That Man and Mystery
by PhantomAngel24601
Summary: This is a modern day story. Christine is an ordinary dancer at an opera house in New York and Erik the elusive manager. He is seen as an unapproachable, temperamental artist until a certain dancer stumbles into his office. E/C as usual. READ AND REVIEW.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I'm going to try this again. I was told that my writing style was too rushed so I've tried to plan this fic better. I just want to get the first chapter out and see the response I get before I continue. For now this story is a T rating, there might be some developments that may change the rating but I'll try and keep it at T. This is obviously E/C **

**Summary: This is a modern day story. Christine is an ordinary dancer at an opera house in New York and Erik the elusive manager. He is seen as an unapproachable, temperamental artist until a certain dancer stumbles into his office. E/C as usual. I'm bad at summaries but please READ AND REVIEW.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters you recognise.**

CHAPTER 1:  
The New York Opera House company just started their new production. The entire company was busy preparing. The dancers had started rehearsing, Christine being the new dancer in the company had to practice extra hard. The music of the orchestra filled the auditorium. The lead diva, Carlotta, had started her antics as she usually does before any new production.

"Why am I forced to work with these...these amateurs?!" She shrieked glancing at the group of young dancers. The tenor, Piangi, that acted alongside Carlotta tried to calm her down. "And where is that manager, I need to speak to him about this new dancer? She's useless." Christine looked down in shame at Carlotta's comment. Madame Giry, the dancing instructor, stepped forward, "If you have a problem with my dancers you should speak to me and not waste the manager's time. Carlotta rolled her eyes, "Well I'm telling you n-" At this moment the manager walked in. Silence filled the auditorium. Everyone was shocked to see him as he hadn't come to a rehearsal for weeks.

"Is there a problem here?" No one besides Madame Giry had the courage to step forward. "Madame Carlotta has a problem with one of the new dancers." Christine felt her heart start to race. She was glad that no one turned to look at her. Mr Destler, the manager remained cold and upright, "well if she's new she can't be that valuable. Send her to my office so I can formally dismiss her." Mr Destler left the auditorium without another word to any one. Everyone stared after him in shock, Christine paled. Mr Reyer, the conductor, interrupted the silence. "How about a 30 minute break?"he suggested, nodding at Madame Giry. She nodded her head, "Yes, I believe that would be best." The members of the company scrambled off the stage, grateful for the break.

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Many of the cast members sat in groups in the large empty foyer of the opera house, chatting or playing QuizUp on their phones. Christine opted to sit by herself with her mp3 player and earphones in her ears. She tried desperately to ignore all the stares. Even though she was near tears she was determined to change the manager's mind. After a few minutes a tall blonde walked up to her. "Hi I'm Meg Giry." She held out her hand to Christine. Christine hesitantly took it, recognising her as one of the best dancers in the company. "Madame Giry would like to see you." Oh right. Of course she wasn't there to get to know Christine. Christine nodded and quickly got up, following Meg to Madame Giry's office.

Outside Madame Giry's office, there were a group of dancers sitting on the floor. Christine ignored their whispers. Christine stared at the door in fear. "Well go on, knock." Meg urged. Before softly knocking on the door Christine heard one of the dancers saying, "Does she even know how to knock?" This caused the others to burst into a fit of giggles. Christine entered Madame Giry's office, completely ignoring the group of dancers giggling behind her.

"Miss Daae, thank you for coming to see me" Madame Giry motioned for Christine to sit. "Are you going to fire me?" Christine could feel the tears welling in her eyes. "No, Miss Daae, I am not allowed to do that. Mr Destler has to do that. I just wanted to warn you about him. He is a good man but if you rub him up the wrong way he can be quite...well you can imagine from this morning." "Do I have to go now?" Christine asked timidly. Madame Giry nodded and explained to her how to get to Mr Destler's office.

After about 10 minutes of pacing in the corridor Christine finally worked up the courage to knock on Mr Destler's door. She nearly passed out from fear when she heard his threatening voice call for her to enter.

**A/N: so please review. I would really appreciate your feedback, questions or suggestions. Thanks for reading and yeah please review, follow and favourite :)**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I know the last chapter was quite short, this one will be a bit longer. Thank you so much for your reviews. I have taken in everything you all said and will remember it while I am writing the rest of the story. About updating: I need to start studying for exams but I will update a bit during studying and exams and the updates will become more regularly after exams. Anyway, hope you all like the new chapter :)

CHAPTER 2:  
Erik sat alone at his desk in his office, his laptop open in front of him. He had classical music playing on his iPod through the Bluetooth speakers but turned it off when he heard a knock on his door. Erik hated being disturbed. Before doing anything he made sure his skin coloured mask was in tact.

"Enter" the annoyance in his voice could be heard. Erik stood up from his desk when this girl stumbled into his office, landing on her hands and knees. Erik just stood and stared at her, not even bothering to help her up. Eventually the girl got up, her face flushed from embarassment. "I'm Christine Daae..."her voice was timid. Christine noticed that Mr Destler always appeared cold, "I do not care. Why are you here?" Erik's voice was demanding. Christine stepped back in shock, not expecting that rudenesss.

"I was sent by Madame Giry" Christine's voice was barely a whisper. "Of course, the dancer?" Erik questioned, "here's your letter of dismissal and your payment for the month." Christine felt tears stain her cheeks, "Please, Mr Destler, don't do this. I need this job." Erik shoved the envelope into her hand, "tell someone who cares and get out of my office. Now!" Christine ran out of his office, her tears falling freely. She ran till she couldn't see the opera house and was surrounded by strangers in the bustling streets of New York.

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Erik sat alone in his office with a strange feeling in his chest. Guilt. No, it couldn't be guilt. Erik chose to ignore this and forget about that girl, she was just one of those poor country girls that was desperate for a job. He tried to reassure himself by telling himself that she was probably talentless anyway.

Erik sat for a few minutes staring out the tall windows, that displayed the entire city, until he was knocked out of his reverie by his office door being flung open. Erik rolled his eyes and inwardly groaned when he saw Carlotta.

"Did you fire that stupid girl?" Carlotta questioned. Erik simply nodded and kept his face turned away from Carlotta's view. This woman annoyed him so much. "Ugh, are you just going to stand there?" Carlotta walked up to Erik. "Yes, Madame, I am just going to stand here and next time you come into my office, be sure to knock" Erik sincerely hoped there would be no next time. Carlotta stomped her foot and marched out of his office. If Erik could have fired that woman he would have, but that idiot of a patron was stopping him. Damn that patron! Erik didn't know who he hated more, Carlotta or the patron, Raoul de Changy.

Erik stopped his rant when he heard another knock at his door. Why were so many people disturbing him today? Erik's expression softened, just a little bit, when he saw Madame Giry. "What did you say to the girl?" Madame Giry questioned sternly. She was the only person Erik trusted, she was like family. "I fired her, like I was supposed to. Why do you ask?" Erik decided not to mention how rude he was to the girl. "Erik, she ran out of your office in tears..." Erik shifted awkwardly in his chair, he had not realised. There was that guilty feeling again, "Oh, I did not realise." Madame Giry knew Erik, she knew that he was probably rude to the girl. "Aplogise to her, if you ever see her again" with that Madame Giry left his office. Erik pondered what she had said for a few minutes but chose to ignore what he felt towards the girl, telling himself that he would never see her again.

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Christine sat alone at a table in the corner at Starbucks. She had a cappucino in front of her but couldn't bring herself to drink it. She knew that Mr Destler was a recluse, who never spoke to anyone but that didn't give her the right to be mean to her. There was something strange about that man...about hos appearance...and he looked lonely. Christine wondered if he had anyone that even cared about him. No, Christine decided that she didn't care as he was the reason she now had no income. Her thoughts about the mysterious manager of the opera house were interrupted when she saw a tall, blonde young man enter Starbucks. Their eyes met and Christine flushed a deep shade of red. He ordered a coffee before going up to Christine.

"Hi, I'm Raoul de Changy" he offered his hand. Christine shook it, smiling "Christine Daae". For a few moments Christine just stared into his deep blue eyes. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach. "Well, Christine, I have to go run an errand. You could walk with me if you'd like?" Christine nodded and slowly got up. Wait, maybe she shouldn't just follow a random stranger. Oh, what the hell, she had nothing better to do this and this Raoul guy is hot. Together, they walked out of Starbucks and into the streets of New York.

"So, Christine, tell me about yourself. What do you do for living?" "I was a dancer" Christine sighed. "Was? What happened?" Raoul questioned. "I was fired..." Christine ignored the thoughts of Mr Destler that entered her mind. Raoul gasped and placed his arm around her shoulder "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up!" Christine looked up from the floor and at Raoul, "Don't worry, I found a job at a coff-" Christine turned her head and realised they were standing outside the New York Opera House. "Why do you need to run an errand here?" Christine noticed from the corner of her that Carlotta had come through the doors and was walking towards. "I'm a patron here. Is that a problem?" Raoul questioned. Christine just stared at him blankly.

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Erik stood at his window, gazing down at the bustling streets beneath him. He was content to just stand and watch but something caught his eye. Raoul de Changy and he was stranding with that girl. He had his arm draped around her. Erik felt the sudden need to protect this girl from his patron. Erik knew that Raoul was just going to use. Christine was too sweet of a girl for Erik to allow that happen, he had to stop Raoul. Frustrated, he banged his hand on the wall, the nearest thing to him. Why was he suddenly feeling these emotions? Why did he care about this girl?

A/N: So I know there has to be some R/C but don't worry I hate Raoul so it won't last long as this story is essentially and E/C fic. PLEASE REVIEW, FOLLOW&amp;FAVOURITE :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for reading and reviewing. Hope you all like the next chapter :)**

CHAPTER 3:

Raoul raised an eyebrow, realising that Christine might have been fired from the opera house, "Christine, what's wrong with the opera house?" Christine just shook her head, "Go run your errand, I'll just...I'll just wait here." Raoul nodded and with a smile at Christine, he ran towards the doors, stopping when he reached Carlotta. Christine stared after Raoul. If he was a patron here, it probably meant that he's family was rich. Christine didn't know if she wanted to get close to a guy like Raoul. Maybe she was just jumping to conclusions and judging too quickly, maybe he wasn't like that. She decided that she would like to get to know him. If he even wanted that. Why would he choose her? Girls probably flocked around him. Christine thought that she wasn't exactly that beautiful and that she was just an inexperienced nineteen year old...well she was almost twenty. But still, no man would want her...

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"What are you doing with that girl?" Carlotta questioned angrily. Raoul knew this was coming, Carlotta and him were in a fake 'relationship', even though Carlotta thought it was real. Raoul only slept with Carlotta to keep her happy because without her the opera would fail, he was getting really bored with her. Now, he had his eyes set on Christine, he would use her to satisfy his needs. "I was just talking to the girl." Raoul reassured Carlotta, "Go back inside babe, I'll come and find you later." Raoul stepped back before Carlotta could kiss him, he hoped Christine hadn't seen that attempted kiss. Carlotta went back inside with a pout and Raoul rushed back to Christine.

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Christine smiled at Raoul as he rushed back to her. She hadn't heard or watched what Raoul or Carlotta had said to each other. She figured that as the patron Raoul had to interact with members of the company and Carlotta was the lead diva after all. "I'm sorry about that Christine, I just had to clear something up with the lead diva." Raoul placed his hand around her, "Shall we continue our walk?" Christine nodded, flinching slightly when Raoul put his arm around her, "Could you actually just walk me to the café down the street, I'm starting work there?" Raoul happily obliged and walked with her. As they walked away from the front of the magnificent opera house Christine could have sworn that she saw a shadow standing by the top window. She really needed to stop imagining things.

"I know I shouldn't bring this up but...who fired you?" Raoul questioned as the neared the café where Christine was going to work. "Uh...it was Mr Destler" Christine sincerely hoped that Raoul was not going to ask him about, being a patron. However, Raoul just nodded and continued their walk in silence. Raoul knew that it wasn't worth it to say anything to Erik because that man had one hell of a temper. Raoul was going to have to think of another way to impress Christine and get her into his bed, she seemed easy and desperate enough. He smirked slightly, no one would stop him from getting what he wanted. Besides, he always got what he wanted.

Christine stopped outside the café and glanced at Raoul, wondering what he was thinking about. "Is there something on your mind Raoul?" Christine arched an eyebrow. "No, not at all. I was just wondering if you're free tonight so we can go out to dinner. " Raoul gave her a dazzling smile, with pearly white teeth. How could she possibly say no? Christine smiled slightly, a bit hesitant to agree but eventually she agreed, "I'd like that..." Raoul grinned, "Great, I'll come back here later to get you." Christine smiled and went into the café. Raoul turned and went back down the street, towards the opera house.

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Raoul strolled into the auditorium looking like he owned the place. Rehearsals had started again. What Raoul did not expect to see was Erik Destler sitting in the seats watching the rehearsal. This man had never been interested enough to watch a single rehearsal. Raoul sat down next to Erik, "Hey, how's it going?" Erik rolled his eyes, "Go sit somewhere else..." Raoul sighed and went to sit a few rows away from Erik. As he sat watching the rehearsal, he winked at Carlotta, he knew he would be meeting her in her dressing room later. Raoul turned around to look at Erik. He was gone. It was so typical for him to do other things while the entire company was in the auditorium rehearsing.

Raoul sat through the entire rehearsal and got up just before the end to go to Carlotta's dressing room. He put his feet up on her dressing table and paged through the that had been left on it. A few minutes later Carlotta came in, "Hello, love." Raoul ignored what she called him and got up to lock the door. "Let's make this quick" Raoul literally tore the buttons of her dress.

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Raoul emerged from Carlotta's dressing room about an hour later and called for his driver to come fetch him and take him home. He needed to clean up before he saw Christine. After about forty-five minutes he was back in the car and nearly outside the café Christine worked at. He got out of the car when Christine came out at the end of her shift. He leaned forward to place a kiss on her cheek but she flinched away. Raoul smiled, ignoring the rejection her just received. It just mean that he would be more satisfied when he finally had her. "Let's go," Raoul said with a grin. Christine smiled nervously as Raoul ushered her into the car.

Raoul and Christine were sitting in a fancy restaurant. Christine gazed around, she didn't like this place very much. Everyone was staring at her like she didn't belong there, she felt like she didn't belong her. Raoul noticed the change, "Christine, are you okay? You look a bit pale." Christine shook her head, "I'm fine..l-let's just order" she forced the most convincing smile she could.

**A/N: Thanks for being patient, I know it's taking me a bit long to update. Oh and in case you didn't realise Raoul is a villain and as a preview for the next chapter(because I took so long with this one) I will tell you that E/C will meet again *rubs hands together* Please continue to read, review, follow and favourite. I really appreciate all your feedback :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to those who are reading and reviewing. I appreciate it. I do hope that more people join :) Sorry this took so long. I've just finished my exams so don't worry I did not abandon this story. Enjoy the chapter and please review so that I know that people are still interested :)**

**CHAPTER 4:**

Since that date with Raoul in the fancy restaurant, they had only gone on one other public date. Christine wasn't sure but it felt like Raoul didn't want to be seen with her. She decided that she wasn't going to confront him about it. They had at least had a few nice private dates. Although nothing serious happened yet, Christine new that she liked Raoul, he was a nice guy. Christine was walking from her apartment to the café. Raoul had helped her pay for the apartment as she couldn't afford it with her salary at the moment. She was hoping to get a job at another theatre, maybe singing this time and promised to pay Raoul back as soon as she could.

It was seven in the morning an Christine was standing at the counter ready to serve the customers. The café was relatively busy in the morning as people would come for a quick coffee before work. Christine was looking down at her phone, something she wasn't meant to be doing, but Raoul had sent her a message about a date that night. A man cleared his throat but Christine didn't even realise, she was too busy replying to Raoul, happy that her manager was at the back so that she could quickly check her phone.

"Excuse me, can I order something?" Christine recognised that voice. She looked up and her eyes locked with two piercing green eyes.

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Raoul sat in his office, his laptop open in front of him. Things were taking a bit longer than he expected with Christine but he was still as determined as ever to get what he wanted. He was busy planning their date. He didn't want to take her somewhere public so he opted to have his chef cook dinner and invite Christine over to his house. On all their previous dates, they had mostly gone to her place, well the place he paid for. Inviting her to his home meant that it would end up being easier for him to achieve his 'goal'. Raoul was glad that Christine wasn't friends with anyone from the Opera House or she might have heard about his reputation. However, Raoul knew for a fact that Christine was completely unaware of his intentions. Smirking, he got up from his desk to go and make arrangements for his date with Christine.

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"Mr Destler...I...uhm" Christine couldn't even find the words to say. She had never noticed how mesmerizing his eyes were before. Why was she staring at him? "Of course...what would you liked to order?" Christine looked anywhere but at him. "A cappuccino, please." "Sit down or takeaway" Christine's hands were literally shaking. Erik smirked, "I think I'll sit down..." He went to sit down at a table in the corner, where the light was relatively dim, and watched as Christine prepared his coffee. She was more beautiful than he remembered, or maybe he just didn't notice her beauty the day when she fell into his office. Thinking about that day, he remembered what Madame Giry had said. His thoughts were interrupted when Christine placed the coffee on the table. She was about to turn and walk back to the counter, "Miss Daae, wait". Christine looked at him "Mr Destler, please call me Christine, you are no longer my boss..." Erik felt a pang of guilt when she mentioned that, "Well then, Christine, I just wanted to apologise for my abrupt behaviour on the day I...on the day you left the Opera House." Christine shrugged in response, "It's fine." "No, it's not. I feel the need to make it up to you." Erik explained. "That is really not necessary, Mr Destler." Erik sighed, "Alright, if you say so."Christine smiled warmly and went back to the counter, Erik drank his cappuccino, still watching Christine. She seemed like a kind person, at least it looked like that by the way she interacted with customers. This made him feel even worse. Erik contemplated warning her but he didn't think she would take it well seeing that he was her jerk of an ex boss that fired her. However, he still felt obliged to tell her.

Christine returned to his table, bringing the bill with her. He had to tell her it was now or never. "Mi-...uh Christine?" Erik knew this wasn't going to end well. "Yes, Mr Destler?" Christine spoke softly. "I need to warn you" Erik looked quite serious and Christine wondered what was wrong. She raised her eyebrow but said nothing. "It's about Raoul. I know you're seeing him and I know what he's like, I'm just telling you to be careful that he doesn't hurt you." Erik looked at her trying to figure out her reaction. She replied blankly, "thank you for your concern but you know nothing about Raoul or me so please stay out of it." She took the bill and walked away. Erik sighed and left the café.

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It was 6pm and Christine was waiting outside the café for Raoul to pick her up. While she stood, she thought about what Mr Destler said to her. For a moment she wondered what he meant but pushed the thoughts from her mind. She liked Raoul and nothing anyone said would change that, especially not Mr Destler. He did fire her and was extremely rude to her so why does he now care enough to warn her to prevent her from getting hurt. She promised herself to not pay attention to what Mr Destler said. Raoul was a great person and would never hurt.

At that moment Raoul pulled up, well he's driver did, she smiled at Raoul and the driver got out to open the door for her. Once she was in the car Raoul moved closer to her and kissed her. Christine kissed him back but pulled away when he tried to deepen the kiss. Raoul smiled at her, "Sorry, I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries..." Raoul grinned to himself because when they got to his house, her boundaries wouldn't matter. Christine looked over at Raoul, "What are we doing tonight?" Raoul grinned at her, "Dinner at my place. How's your new apartment?" Christine sighed softly, "It's your apartment but it's great thanks."

They arrived at Raoul's place, the driver pulled up in front of the door. Raoul got out after Christine and they both walked inside. "Let's go into the living room" Raoul placed his hand on Christine's back. Christine had been here before so she knew where the living room was. They sat down on the leather couch by the window. Christine gazed out at the beautiful gardens. "We'll have dinner in half an hour. Is that okay?" Raoul asked placing his arm around Christine. Christine smiled slightly and nodded. Raoul grinned, it was time. Very slowly he ran his hands up and down Christine's arms. Christine leaned slightly towards his touch. Raoul started placing rough kisses along her neck. Christine ignored the way Raoul was acting, they had intimate moments like this before. Raoul spun Christine around to face him and placed kisses on her collarbone. Christine tried to pull away slowly but Raoul pulled her closer, continuing his trail of kisses. "Raoul...we should stop..." Raoul ignored her and his hands went to the hem of the shirt. "Raoul...no! I don't want to do this..." Christine pushed against Raoul's chest. "Stop resisting me, baby. You know you want it..." Raoul grinned and his hands went under her shirt. Raoul growled, "So...you wanna do this the hard way then." Raoul pushed her down onto the couch and pressed his much larger body against hers. "No! Stop!" Christine screamed. Her screaming was useless. Christine slapped Raoul as hard as she could and when Raoul was momentarily distracted by the sting of the slap, she pushed him off her and ran towards the door. Raoul tried to grab her, scratching her arm with his sharp nails and the edge of his watch in the process. Eventually Christine made it out the door. Raoul was following her, she ran as fast as she could out the front gate. She ran until Raoul stopped pursuing her and called for a cab. Once she was back in the bustling streets of New York she felt safe.

The café was already closed so Christine walked up the road, knowing she couldn't go back to her apartment. Raoul might be there, waiting for her. This was her second bad experience with a man, she should not have trusted Raoul so quickly. Walking past the opera house, she noticed a light in one of the windows. The sun was setting and the street lights were on. Hoping that Meg might be there, she went in. Meg and her had sort of become friends. When Christine got to the office where the light had been shining, she realised it was Mr Destler's office. She was about to turn away when the door opened. She noticed the shock on Erik's face when seeing her, his gaze went to her arm. His expression softened, "Christine, what happened?" Christine noticed that he had his jacket and his keys. He was on his way home. "I'm sorry, I'm interrupting. You were about to leave..." Christine choked back a sob. Erik smiled reassuringly, "I don't live far from here..Come on..." Christine just stared at him, "Mr Destler. You don't have to d-" "Yes, I do."

Together, they walked down to the parking lot. Mr Destler opened the passenger door of his Mercedes-Benz. Christine got in and he closed the door. His car was really luxurious. "You should apply pressure to your arm, I'll clean it up when we get to my place" Erik pulled out of the parking space. Christine took off her jacket and held it against her arm, she had not realised the amount of blood. The entire torn sleeve had blood on it. It was a ten minute drive to the apartment block that Mr Destler lived in. It was one of the nicest in New York. And he lived in the penthouse.

Once they were inside, Christine barely had time to look around before Mr Destler led her to the bathroom. "I'm just going to clean your wound" Erik said looking through the cabinet for a bandage. Christine sat down on the edge of the bath, she felt tears pooling in her eyes. Mr Destler kneeled in front of her. "Are you wearing a vest under your shirt?" Erik really didn't want to do this, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. She merely nodded."May I?" He asked. Christine nodded again trying to stop her tears. Erik's hands went to her buttons and he slowly started unbuttoning her shirt. Christine immediately flinched. "I'm sorry about this." Erik sighed. Christine shook her head, "It's fine..." her voice was timid. Erik continued unbuttoning her shirt and gently removed it. Immediately he dabbed the cut with anitseptic liquid and cotton wool. He then rolled a bandage around her arm. When he looked up at Christine he noticed that she was still crying. He reached for a tissue and handed it to her. Christine took it and wiped her face, "Thank you, Mr Destler" Erik smiled, "You're welcome...and please, call me Erik"

**A/N: I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Please review, so I know that there is still interest in this story. I appreciate all feedback x**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. Please read the note at the end of the chapter. Enjoy :) **

CHAPTER 5:

Erik led Christine out of the bathroom. "You can change into one of my shirts and I'll go make you something to eat" Erik smiled slightly, before leaving and closing the door, giving Christine privacy to change. Christine sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, glancing at the bandage on her arm. She had to be the unluckiest person when it came to love and men. Christine felt a few tears sliding down her cheek but wiped them away quickly. While changing into Erik's shirt, she promised herself to never let a man do this to her again.

By the time Christine came out of the room, Erik had whipped together a quick pasta and placed it in the oven to bake. Erik would be lying if he said that seeing Christine wearing his shirt didn't affect him. He dismissed the thought quickly. "Christine, can I offer you some wine?" Christine shook her head, "Just some water, please." Her voice was still soft and timid. Erik poured her some water and motioned for her to sit down at the kitchen table. Erik sat down opposite her and handed her the glass of water. Christine thanked him and sipped her water quietly. "Christine, do you mind me asking what happened?" Erik watched her, to gauge her response to his question. She sighed sadly, "I don't want to talk about it." Erik nodded in understanding and got up to check the pasta.

They ate their meal in silence. Erik would steal the occasional glance at Christine. Her eyes remained downcast, she was clearly deep in thought. Erik wondered what exactly happened. He suspected it had something to do with De Changy. After all Christine and him were...dating, for lack of a better term. Erik didn't know why but that made him slightly jealous. This feeling felt odd as firstly, he barely knew Christine and secondly, he wasn't even attracted to her. Erik cursed under his breath, who was he trying to fool, she was extremely attractive. Christine gazed up at him when she thought she heard him mutter something, but she was to deep in thought to know what he said, "Sorry, did you say something?" Christine tried to keep her gaze away from Erik's when she spoke. Erik shook his head and continued eating. Christine gazed at Erik's face and noticed that the one side of it looked like it was a different texture, she had noticed but she could see it more clearly now because of the light. Erik stood up to clear and his plate and noticed Christine staring, she quickly dropped her gaze.

Once Erik had cleared away the dishes, they moved to sit on the couch. "Can I offer you some coffee or tea?" Erik asked. Christine shook her head, "No, thank you". Erik nodded, "Are you sure you don't want to tell me what's going on?" Christine sighed, "Something happened with Raoul. It's my fault; I should have listened when you warned me." Erik waved his hand dismissively, "Don't say that. This is not your fault, De Changy is a jerk." Christine managed to muster a slight smile. "Why did you decide to go the Opera House?" Erik asked, assuming that the most obvious place to go would be home. Christine sighed, "I couldn't go home because Raoul pays for the place I'm staying...stayed at." Erik frowned, he hated de Changy more than ever, "You're welcome to stay here as long as you want." "Thank you Erik." Erik smiled, "You can sleep in my bedroom. I'll sleep on the couch." "Erik, I couldn't possibly impose..." Erik shook his head, "Nonsense, you're not imposing at all. I insist." Christine smiled at him properly for the first time and thanked him again before disappearing into his bedroom.

When Christine got into bed that night she couldn't help but think about Raoul...and about Erik. Erik had been so kind in allowing her to stay at his place and she felt bad for the way she acted when he warned her about Raoul. She was sure that she loved Raoul and that he loved her. Obviously he did not love her but she couldn't help but feel that her love for him would take longer to get over. She knew that she didn't want to be near him for a while because she was still afraid of what he might do.

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Raoul sat in his office early the next morning, contemplating his next move. He still wanted Christine, not as a girlfriend, he just wanted her once and he would do anything to get her, even if he had to force. Christine was a vulnerable girl so it probably wouldn't be that hard for Raoul to get her to forgive him; he just had to go about it the right way. She probably wouldn't ever go back to the apartment so maybe he would just have to pay her a visit while she was at the café, working. Raoul eventually decided to make a turn at the Opera House before going to see Christine; he still had Carlotta to keep happy. With a smirk, he poured half a glass of Scotch and leaned back in his chair.

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Christine woke up the next morning and wandered out of the room to the vast space which was the living room, dining room and kitchen. Erik was standing by the coffee machine. "Morning Erik." Erik turned around and saw Christine standing there. She was still wearing his shirt. Sunlight was streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows and Erik noticed the way the sunlight illuminated her skin. Luckily he was standing away from the sunlight or she might have noticed his mask. He cleared his throat, shaking his thoughts, "Morning Christine, would you like some coffee?" Christine nodded and sat down on one of the chairs. Erik placed her coffee on the table; she noticed he was already dressed. Erik smiled slightly, "I have to get to work, you can stay if you want to or if you need to leave I can give you a key, if you still need somewhere to stay..."

Christine smiled brightly at Erik, "Thank you, Erik. You've been so kind to me but I couldn't possibly stay any longer." Erik frowned slightly, "Well do you have another place to go?" Christine shook her head; she really had nowhere else to go. "Then please stay here, I insist." "Alright Erik, I'll stay. Thank you again." Erik nodded and left the spare key on the table before going to the door, "I'll see you later." He left, closing the door behind him.

Christine sighed, left to her thoughts. She texted her boss to let him know that she wouldn't be coming into work today, luckily her boss was quite understanding. Her thoughts wondered to Erik, he had been so sweet to her yesterday. He was a really nice guy and Christine noticed the way he had been looking at her. He was also quite attractive and Christine had not failed to notice this. But...she still loved Raoul and she wanted to talk to him first so that he could prove that this was a mistake. Either way, she had to decide what to do about Raoul without using Erik as a factor. So what if there was a small attraction between them, she would just have to ignore it, as nothing would come from it. Erik was way above her, he even once said so himself when they first met. Besides, he was much older than her. Wait, why was she even thinking about this? Nothing would ever happen. She managed to convince herself that Raoul was her priority.

Christine decided that she would go fetch some things from her...or Raoul's apartment rather. She decided to go at eleven as she knew that Raoul would be at the Opera House at that time. She changed into her torn shirt and her pair of jeans, finding one of Erik's jackets and placing it over the shirt. She felt bad just taking something from his closet, but she couldn't walk around with a torn shirt. She got into a cab and went to her apartment. It was hard to do this because she thought of Raoul when she was in the apartment. She quickly gathered together some clothes, her toothbrush and other essentials. She had to plan in case she didn't sort out this thing with Raoul soon enough.

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Erik sat in the auditorium, something he rarely did. He decided it was time to watch rehearsals to see how the opera had progressed, seeing that opening night was next week. He watched to see if they had taken into account the changes he had previously made and to see if they had polished it. He was quite satisfied, which was very rare for him, especially with this cast. They could be quite difficult.

"Hey Erik. Excited for opening night?" Erik turned red in anger. It was that damn fool, Erik sighed he had to be civil and make conversation, Raoul was the patron. "Yes, everyone has worked hard..." Raoul laughed happily, clearly trying to annoy Erik. That didn't take much as just seeing Raoul was enough to annoy Erik. Raoul grinned, "I've got my two box tickets ready." "Two?" Erik questioned pretending to be interested. "Yes, one for me and one for my lovely girlfriend Christine, do you know her?" Raoul already knew that Christine and Erik knew each other. Carlotta had told Raoul that she saw Christine going up to Erik's office the night before so Raoul figured Christine went there after their incident. Erik clenched his fists and shook his head, "No I don't know her. Excuse me I have work to do." Erik got up and left the Opera House. He'd come back after lunch, once De Changy left.

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Christine got to the apartment and unlocked the door with the spare key Erik had given her. She was setting her bag down next to the couch when she heard a noise coming for the bathroom. That was strange because Erik was at the Opera House. She slowly walked to the bathroom door and pushed it open and breathed a sigh of relief to see Erik standing in front of the mirror holding a bottle in his hand. Christine tried to read the label. Face Wash. Her eyes drifted towards the mirror and she couldn't help the scream that came from her lips once she set her eyes on the mirror.

**A/N: Thank you for all you reviews on the last chapter, I was overwhelmed and so happy. Again, sorry this took so long. Also, I've been reading other fics and realised that the spacing in between my writing might be weird. Can you tell who's speaking or do I need to space it better. Please let me know, this is important. I'll update very soon, it won't take as long as it did with this, promise. Please REVIEW and let me know about the spacing :) x**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Enjoy and please read the note at the end (:**

CHAPTER 6:

Erik froze the minute he heard Christine...or her scream. When he realised what was happening his hand immediately shot up to cover the one side of his face. "What are you doing here?" he yelled, "Get out! NOW!" With that he slammed the bathroom door.

Christine tried to open the door but he had already locked it. She fiddled with the handle for a little why before calling out to Erik, "Erik, please open the door, I'm so sorry." Christine wanted Erik to open the door but on the other hand she didn't know if she could stand to see the horrible sight again. Half of his face was ravaged, the skin was pink and was pulled, purple veins were exposed and his upper lip was also deformed. Even thinking about it terrified her.

After a few minutes Erik unlocked the door, "Christine, don't come in but could you please hand me my mask, it's on the table." Erik had calmed down but Christine could hear that he was still upset

"Erik, I'm so sorry. I had no idea..." Christine really didn't know what else to say to Erik after what she had just done.

He raised his hand to stop her, "Don't. I don't need your pity. For years I've been hiding this. Ever since my childhood." Christine felt extremely bad for screaming and reacting the way she did. Erik opened the door slightly and reached out his hand for his mask and Christine waited for him to come out.

"Erik please, forgi-" Christine started but again, Erik stopped her midsentence.

"I have to get back to work..." Erik couldn't even look at Christine while talking, "I'll be back later..."

Once Erik left Christine sat on the couch thinking about what happened. Images of Erik's deformed face kept flashing in her mind. At that moment Christine realised how selfish she was being, the day before she was thinking about how sweet Erik was and now she was acting like she couldn't even stand the thought of him. She had to do something to make it up to him because she knew how badly she hurt him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Erik sat in his office staring at a blank computer screen. He was trying to process what had happened with Christine. She saw his face, she knew his secret. Erik was used to getting that reaction from anyone who saw his face. What made it worse this time was that he had feelings for Christine and the more his feelings only heightened when he tried to ignore it. He knew deep down that he wanted to tell her but he was scared. Scared that Christine hated him and scared that she didn't feel the same way and that she still loved that idiot, Raoul. Erik needed advice and failed the one person that he knew he could trust to b honest with him. With that, he picked up his phone and dialled a number that he hadn't dialled for a very long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Christine stood over the stove, stirring a pot of beef stew. She had decided to cook Erik a nice dinner to try and make up for her actions. It wasn't much but it would show Erik that she was sorry. Christine looked through the kitchen cupboards till she eventually found plates, glasses and cutlery. Once she had those out, she set the table. Once that was all done she went to change and came back out into the living room just as Erik came through the door.

"Evening Erik." Christine smiled warmly at Erik.

Erik looked at the table in the kitchen, "What is all this Christine?" He asked, gesturing to the table.

"I made dinner, I wanted to apologise for my actions..." Christine couldn't bring her gaze up to face Erik.

"Thank you Christine. You didn't have to go through all this trouble..." Erik couldn't help but gaze at Christine as he sat down. She was so beautiful and he would tell her that tonight. He would tell her how he felt.

Christine dished the beef stew and rice into two separate bowls before placing them onto the table.

Erik smiled, "Beef stew, my favourite. My mother used to make it for me when I was sick as a child..." Erik's smile faded when he said this and Christine didn't want to push him for information. He obviously hadn't had an easy childhood.

"Well, I hope you like it." Christine smiled, pouring some wine into Erik's glass before sitting opposite him. Christine was incredibly hungry so she immediately dug into her food, Erik on the other hand was chewing and swallowing very slowly. Christine instantly thought there was something wrong with her food. "Erik, is there something wrong with food?"

Erik shook his head, "No, not at all. The food is wonderful."

"Then what's wrong?" Christine asked, concerned.

Erik sighed. Christine knew about his deformity so he might as well tell her. "I can't eat properly with the mask on" Erik began, "the leather scratching against my skin is painful."

Christine gasped, "Erik, I'm so sorry. I had no idea! Do you want to take it off?"

"No!"

Christine had only asked him to be polite. Inside, she was glad that he said no as she didn't know if she could stand to look at something so horrible. She felt terrible for calling Erik horrible but it was the unfortunate truth. She was knocked out if her thoughts when Erik called her name.

"Christine, there is something I have to tell you..." Erik was extremely nervous. His hands were shaking and his palms were extremely sweaty. Christine noticed his discomfort.

"Come on Erik, whatever it is you can tell me" she encouraged.

After a few moments Erik gathered the courage to speak. "Christine you're extremely beautiful and-" Christine had a look of pure confusion on her face but Erik continued, "-and I think I'm...I'm developing feelings towards and every time I try and ignore it, it just comes back, stronger than before."

Christine couldn't speak; she just stared at Erik, her mouth hanging open slightly."Erik, you've been very sweet and kind to me and I like you...but I love Raoul."

"Why? Why Christine?! He hurt you and he's using you for his own pleasure, I would never do that!" Erik pleaded. Christine admitted that Raoul had hurt her, but she didn't think he was just using her for pleasure. He hadn't even made a move till that night when he hurt her.

Erik looked upset, "It's because of this, isn't it?" Erik questioned, gesturing to his mask. Christine barely had time to open when Erik shot up from his seat, kicking his chair over in the process. Murmuring under his breath, he stormed into the room that Christine assumed was his office, and slammed the door angrily. Christine sat at the kitchen table with her head in her hands. She could feel tears pooling in her eyes. She admitted that she was attracted to Erik...well that was before she saw his face. That was beside the point though because Raoul deserved a second chance and she would give him just that because she loved him. No matter what Erik said, she believed that Raoul would never use her and throw away like she was nothing. Besides, even if she didn't want Raoul, she knew that another relationship was not the best idea. Eventually, Christine wiped her tears, placed the plates in the dishwasher and made her way to the bedroom. She contemplated going to Erik but she didn't want to anger him so she decided to go straight to the bedroom and get into bed. As she was lying in bed, she knew it was going to be a long, restless night. There would be two men plaguing her thoughts.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Raoul sat outside the opera house wondering what to do. He should just suck up his pride and be nice to Christine. After a while, he decided to send an email to apologise. Taking out his iPhone, he began typing:

_Dear Christine,_

_I'm sorry this has taken so long but I needed to apologise for my actions. I hurt you deeply and I would really like the chance to make it up to you. Could we maybe at meet at the Opera House at__9am__? I really do hope that you come, I really want to see you._

_Yours,_

_Raoul._

Raoul read over his email twice and when he decided it sounded loving enough he hit the send button before wandering back into the Opera House to find Carlotta and leave for the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Christine was awoken at 6am by the sound of her phone. It was a text from her boss:

_Christine, if you're not in today by 8am. I'll be forced to replace you._

Christine sighed but she then saw an email on her phone. It was from Raoul. Christine couldn't help but be extremely happy about this. She read the email a few times before responding that she'd be there and that she couldn't wait to see him. She knew that her job was important but what would Raoul think if she didn't show up? Maybe she could ask Erik for a job. If not dancing, then perhaps singing in the chorus. While thinking about Erik she recalled his confession last night, she felt extremely terrible but she wanted to be with Raoul. Maybe if Raoul wasn't in the picture...No, Erik would have to settle with being just friends.

Christine jumped in the shower and got ready for the day. By the time she walked out into the living room it was 7am and Erik had already left. However, he left bacon and eggs on the table for with a note that said he didn't want to wake her and had already left for work. It seemed like he was avoiding her because of the night before. Christine sighed deeply, she should probably go to the Opera House early and speak to Erik first. She ate her breakfast and drank her orange juice before grabbing her bag and heading to the Opera House.

When Christine arrived at the Opera House, she immediately went to Erik office. She knocked on the door before entering Erik was at his desk on the phone. When he saw her he told the person on the phone that he had to go and put the phone down.

"Christine, what are you doing here?" Erik questioned, his face filled with confusion.

"I came to ask you a favour," Christine replied and Erik nodded for her to continue, "I was wondering if you could give me a job? Maybe not in dancing, but singing?"

Erik sighed, "If you can show me that you can sing. I'll be more than happy to include you in the next production. As the one we are currently working on is starting next week."

Christine's face fell, "Please Erik, I need this job now. Please, do this for me.."

Erik sighed, he would do anything for her and he was guessing that she knew that. "Fine, but you'll have to learn the music very quickly. That's only if I like your audition."

Christine smiled brightly, "Thank you Erik! I won't let you down."

Erik handed her sheet music. The song was called 'Think of Me'. "Be back her in my office by lunch time. You have until then to learn this piece"

Christine grinned and thanked him again before leaving his office to find Raoul.

Erik sat back in his chair. The more he saw Christine, the more in love with her he fell. And yet, he knew that she was probably running of to find Raoul. Erik sighed, he would give anything to be with her. Not just because he had never had a relationship with anyone but because he was falling deeply in love with her. However, he knew that she would never love him for he was, she would never be able to look at his face and smile. All Erik could do was love her from a distance...

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. PLEASE REVIEW and give me some feedback, I really appreciate all your reviews. About updating, I'll be updating every****Sunday ****starting next week. I think it's better that I choose a set day to update so that all of you know and so that I have a deadline. And again, please review :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Enjoy! (:**

CHAPTER 7: After going to Erik's office Christine ran through the hallways of the Opera House to find Raoul. She found him as he was exiting Carlotta's dressing room, which was really strange. Raoul didn't look the same, he looked the same way he did that night when...he attacked her. Christine shook her head, if Raoul and her were going to have another chance, then she had to accept what happened and try to move past it. The minute Raoul noticed Christine his whole demeanour changed. His expression grew softer and warmer, he walked towards her and pulled her into a hug. Christine shifted uncomfortably. He was holding her a bit to close, so she stepped back.

"Christine," Raoul began, "I've missed you so much" He leaned forward to kiss her. Christine was about to lean back when she realised that she had nothing to fear, Raoul would not hurt her again. Therefore, she leaned forward and kissed him back. Raoul led her into an empty room. What Raoul and Christine didn't know was that before they entered the room a certain masked man had been watching from the shadows.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Erik stormed back to his office, slamming the door behind him. What Erik did not know was that there was a man sitting on the couch in the corner of the room. Erik picked up a glass ornament from his desk and threw it across the room, watching it crash against the wall. It was then that he noticed the dark-skinned man in the corner.

"Persian" Erik muttered, blinking as if he had seen a ghost. The man stood up and walked towards Erik. Erik stumbled back slightly.

"What are you doing here, Nadir?" Erik questioned.

Nadir grinned, "I'm happy to see you too, Erik. I'm here because of the message you left me about this girl. You're not in love, man. You're infatuated besides from what I've heard this girl is using your and abusing your kindness."

Erik glared, "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Calm down, man. I just needed to tell you that. I'll leave now, call me if you need to talk." With that, Nadir left. Erik sunk onto the couch, contemplating what Nadir had just said. Maybe he was right, as he usually was. Erik rolled his eyes, that man had the annoying ability of being able to make sense of situations that Erik did not understand. These situations mostly involved women. Erik sighed and poured himself a glass of red wine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Christine and Raoul sat on a bench outside the Opera House. They had left the room they were in when their kissing got a bit heated. Raoul wanted her but he wouldn't force her until she trusted him completely. But he wasn't willing to wait much longer.

"Raoul, I have to go. I have to go meet Erik now." Christine stood up. Raoul groaned inwardly, he very badly wanted to confront her about Erik but he bit his tongue. He nodded and kissed her goodbye

. "I'll call you later." Was all he said before she walked into the Opera House.

Christine rushed to Erik's office; she was already late and hadn't practised the piece at all. She quickly tried to read over it as she was rushing to Erik's office. When she knocked on the office door and entered Erik was sitting at his desk, his laptop open in front of him. She closed the door quietly.

"You're late!" Erik's voice was harsh. He didn't even look at her when he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Erik. I was practising..."

"All right, let's hear this practiced piece." Erik stood and walked towards the piano, sitting down. He motioned for Christine to stand next to the piano. Erik played the introduction and she began singing,

"Think of me

Think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye"

The music came to an abrupt halt. Christine opened her eyes, only to see Erik staring at her with an icy glare. "You haven't practised! I won't deny that you have a beautiful voice but you aren't committed to this! No, instead of practising, you were going around with your boyfriend. Just get out of my office."

"Erik, please...I.."

"GET OUT! By the time I get home you better be gone from there as well."

"I hate you! You're a monster! This is why no one loves you..." Christine cried, " I thought we were friends."

"Friends don't use friends. Now get out of my office!" Erik yelled. Christine ran out the door as fast as she could.

Christine's words struck a chord deep inside. She called him a monster. Maybe he was acting a bit harsh but if that's what she thought of him then they couldn't be friends. No matter how much Erik loved her, or according to Nadir, thought he loved her.

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Christine rushed to Erik's apartment as fast as she could; she had to get there before he got home. She honestly had no idea where she was going to go. As she stood in the elevator, she took out her phone and sent a text to Meg. Christine and Meg were good friends; Christine just hoped that Meg would allow Christine to stay with her.

Christine entered Erik's apartment and gathered her stuff. Luckily, she didn't have that many things with her. She decided to leave Erik a note:

_Erik,_

_I'm really sorry about the way I acted. What I did was wrong, please forgive me? You've been really kind to me and I did nothing but hurt you and I'm really sorry about that. _

_Christine_

_. PS. I left your spare key under the doormat. _

Christine left the note on the table, locked the door and placed the spare key underneath the mat. Sighing, she walked away from the door and back to the elevator. She had truly messed everything up. What was worse was that she actually really liked Erik as a friend but unfortunately his feelings and her actions got in the way. As the elevator door closed she realised that she would probably never see Erik again.

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When Meg received Christine's text, she was slightly confused. She thought that Christine was staying with Mr Destler and that everything was going to be okay between her and Raoul. Nonetheless, she replied telling Christine that she could stay with her as long as she wanted. Meg then ordered some pizza; Christine would probably be hungry and want some dinner.

A few minutes after that the doorbell rang. Meg went to answer the door, it was Christine. She hugged Christine and motioned to the couch. Christine sat down without saying a word. Meg noticed how sad Christine looked. The doorbell rang again. It was probably the pizza guy. Meg went to the door, paid and brought the pizza to the living room and sat down next to Christine.

"I got pizza." Meg smiled, opening the pizza box.

"Thanks Meg." Christine took a slice of pizza and began eating. Meg turned the TV on. Christine was grateful for the distraction of The Big Bang Theory so that she didn't have to explain to Meg right away. Inevitably, she would probably have to tell her. Christine took another slice of pizza and sat back, watching the TV. Once the episode was finished and they had finished eating, Meg turned to Christine.

"Do you want to talk about what happened, Christine?" Meg asked softly.

Christine sighed, "I don't know what to do, Meg. I love Raoul but when I left Erik's apartment I realised how much leaving and the thought of never seeing him again affected me."

"Christine, do you have feelings for Erik?" Meg questioned, quite surprised by Christine's confession. "I think you should maybe take it slow with Raoul and maybe try and make amends with Erik?"

Christine cried softly, "Erik doesn't want to see me again...I've messed everything up."

Meg hugged Christine; she could clearly see how Christine felt. She realised that her friend might be developing feelings for Mr Destler. Meg was determined to help Christine make the same option.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I don't know if I'm happy with this chapter, it seems like a filler. Please let me know what you think. PLEASE REVIEW! :)**


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